Capillary Tube System

ABSTRACT

The capillary tube system comprises a capillary tube arrangement ( 10 ) including an inflow main tube ( 12 ) and an outflow main tube ( 14 ) and a plurality of capillary tubes ( 24 ) connecting said tubes ( 12,14 ), and a capillary tube mat ( 26 ) including a plurality of capillary tubes ( 34 ) fixed on a support structure ( 32 ), preferably on a flexible support structure, and being open on both of their ends, the distances between said capillary tubes ( 34 ) relative to each other being substantially equal to the distances between respectively adjacent capillary tubes ( 24 ) of the capillary tube arrangement ( 10 ). The capillary tube system further comprises two fitting bars ( 28,30 ) each including a plurality of the capillary tube fittings ( 38 ) for connecting respectively two capillary tubes ( 24,34 ), the capillary tube fittings ( 38 ) being fixed on a holding structure ( 36 ) at distances substantially equal to the distances between respectively adjacent capillary tubes ( 24,34 ) of the capillary tube arrangement ( 10 ) and of the capillary tube mat ( 26 ).

The invention relates to a capillary tube system which is partially prefabricated and can be adapted in situ to the respective required length.

Capillary systems in their use as surface heating systems and particularly as wall heating systems are generally known. Such a system comprises a capillary tube arrangement including collection tubes or main tubes which are used as inflow or outflow tubes and which have a plurality of capillary tubes branching off therefrom in the manner of a distributor configuration. Capillary tube systems or arrangements of this type are described e.g. in EP-B-0 676 593, DE-A-103 09 695, and DE-U-201 15 607, and DE-U-20 2005 000 017.

The known capillary tube arrangements are delivered ex factory in a fully prefabricated condition and made available in one or several standard quantities. An adaptation in situ to individual conditions, particularly with respect to the length of the capillary tubes, will not be possible anymore. Couplings for flexible tubings are disclosed e.g. in AT-B-410 586, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,767,233

It is an object of the invention to provide a capillary tube system which, although produced in a prefabricated condition, can have its length dimensions adapted in situ.

To achieve the above object, there is provided, according to a first variant of the present invention, a capillary tube system comprising

-   -   a capillary tube arrangement including an inflow main tube and         an outflow main tube and a plurality of capillary tubes         connecting said tubes,     -   a capillary tube mat including a plurality of capillary tubes         fixed on a support structure, preferably on a flexible support         structure, and being open on both of their ends, the distances         between said capillary tubes relative to each other being         substantially equal to the distances between respectively         adjacent capillary tubes of the capillary tube arrangement, and     -   two fitting bars each including a plurality of the capillary         tube fittings for connecting respectively two capillary tubes,         the capillary tube fittings being fixed on a holding structure         at distances substantially equal to the distances between         respectively adjacent capillary tubes of the capillary tube         arrangement and of the capillary tube mat.

An alternative embodiment of the capillary tube system according to the first variant of the invention serves for the lengthening/shortening of the capillary tubes of a capillary tube arrangement including an inflow main tube and an outflow main tube and a plurality of capillary tubes connecting said tubes, wherein said alternative embodiment of the capillary tube system is provided with at least one further capillary tube mat and at least one further fitting bar.

The capillary tube system according to the first variant of the invention comprises a plurality of pre-positioned capillary tubes attached to a support structure, particularly to a flexible support structure, such as e.g. an adhesive film or a tissue, and forming a capillary tube mat. The capillary tubes of the capillary tube mat are open on both of their ends and thus can be connected via fittings or the like to e.g. a main tube or also to the capillary tubes of a capillary tube arrangement. By means of this capillary tube system, a standardized, prefabricated capillary tube arrangement can be individually lengthened/shortened. For this purpose, the prefabricated capillary tube arrangement which includes an inflow main tube and an outflow mains tube and a plurality of capillary tubes connecting these tubes, will be divided by severing the individual capillary tubes. In doing so, care should to taken to the effect that the capillary tube portions connected respectively to one of the mains tubes will be of a uniform length. To the open ends of the capillary tubes of one main tube, there will now be connected one of the two fitting bars provided by the invention, which fitting bar comprises a plurality of the capillary tube fittings for connecting respectively two capillary tubes. The capillary tube fittings of each fitting bar are located on a holding structure, particularly a strip-shaped holding structure, and are fixed at distances substantially equal to the distances between respectively adjacent capillary tubes of the capillary tube arrangement or the capillary tube mat. The fittings of one fitting bar which are connected to the capillary tubes—which tubes are open one of their ends—of one main tube will now allow for the connecting of the one ends of those capillary tube portions of the capillary tube mat which will have their other ends connected to the capillary tube fittings of the second fitting bar. To these second capillary tube fittings, in turn, the open ends of the capillary tube portions of the second main tube will be connected. In this manner, the prefabricated capillary tube arrangement will have been changed by a desired length of the capillary tube mat.

According to a second variant of the present invention, the above object is achieved by a capillary tube system comprising

-   -   a capillary tube arrangement including a first main tube and a         plurality of capillary tubes connected thereto and being open on         one of their ends, and     -   a second mains tube provided with fittings for the connection of         the capillary tubes of the capillary tube arrangement.

In this second variant of the capillary tube system of the invention, said system comprises a first main tube having a plurality of capillary tubes branching off therefrom which are open on one of their ends. The capillary tubes can be sized to their desired length in situ so that their open ends can be connected to the fittings of the second main tube and the capillary tube arrangement on the whole will then be ready for use.

In this second variant, it is advantageously provided that the distances between respectively adjacent fittings of the second main tube are substantially equal to the distances of respectively adjacent capillary tubes of the capillary tube arrangement.

According to a third variant of the present invention, the above object is achieved by a capillary tube system comprising

-   -   a capillary tube mat including a plurality of capillary tubes         fixed on a support structure, particularly on a flexible support         structure, and being open on both of their ends, and     -   two main tubes each including a plurality of fittings for         connection of the capillary tubes of the capillary tube mat.

In this third variant, the capillary tube mat comprising a plurality of capillary tubes which are fixed on a support structure, particularly on a flexible support structure, and which are open on both of their ends, can be sized to its desired length in situ so that the two main tubes can then be connected to both ends of the individual capillary tubes. This variant of the invention has certain similarities to the second variant of the capillary tube system. In the third variant, it would be suitable if the distances of respectively adjacent fittings of each of the main tubes were at least substantially equal to the distances of respectively adjacent capillary tubes of the capillary tube mat.

Several embodiments of the present invention will be described in greater detail hereunder with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGS. 1 to 3 are views illustrating the components and the assembly process of a capillary tube system according to a first embodiment,

FIG. 4 is a view of the components of a capillary tube system according to a second embodiment, and

FIG. 5 is a view of the components of a capillary tube system according to a third embodiment.

First, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, a first embodiment of the capillary tube system according to the invention will be described. This capillary tube system comprises a per se known, prefabricated capillary tube arrangement 10 including a first main tube (or inflow tube) 12 and a second main tube (or outflow tube) 14. Apart from their inflow and outflow openings 16 and 18, respectively, the two main tubes 12,14 are provided with a similar number of branch connectors or fittings 20,22 which have the ends of a plurality of capillary tubes 24 connected thereto. Each connection between the capillary tubes 24 and the fittings 20,22 is a permanent and leak-tight connection (which is effected e.g. by welding or bonding).

In this embodiment, if a capillary tube arrangement 10 of the above type shall be extended in situ, three additional components will be used, notably a capillary tube mat 26 and two fitting bars 28,30, all of which are schematically illustrated in FIG. 2. The capillary tube mat 26 comprises a support structure 32 which is particularly of a flexible type and which has mutually parallel capillary tubes 34 with two open ends arranged thereon and fixed thereon in mutual alignment. The distance between respectively adjacent capillary tubes 34 of the capillary tube mat 26 is equal to the distance between the capillary tubes 24 of the capillary tube arrangement according to FIG. 1. The two fitting bars 28,30 each comprise a—in this embodiment, strip-shaped—holding structure (adhesive strip or tissue strip) 36 with a plurality of capillary tube fittings 38 arranged thereon in a mutually parallel and aligned configuration. In this arrangement, the distance between respectively adjacent capillary tube fittings 38 is equal to the distance between the capillary tubes 24 and 34, respectively of the capillary tube arrangement 10 and the capillary tube mat 26, respectively.

Now, in order to extend the prefabricated capillary tube arrangement 10, its capillary tubes 24 will be cut apart along a line 40 (schematically indicated in FIG. 1) extending at a right angle relative to the direction of the capillary tubes 24. Then, the severed ends of the capillary tubes 24 will be connected again, via the capillary tubes 34 of the capillary tube mat 26, to fitting bars 28,30 attached on both sides; this process will result in the situation depicted in FIG. 3. The capillary tube fittings 38 can be provided as plug-in fittings and/or be bonded to the capillary tubes 24,34. In view of the operating pressures which are close to the ambient pressure, effecting the required tightness between the capillary tubes and the fittings will not pose any problems.

FIG. 4 illustrates the components of an alternative capillary tube system suited to be sized to its desired length in situ. This capillary tube system comprises a capillary tube arrangement 10′ including a main tube 12 which is tightly connected to respective ones of the ends of capillary tubes 24 via connectors or connection fittings 20. The other ends of the substantially parallel capillary tubes 24 are exposed or are not connected to the connection fittings 22 of a second main tube 14 which is also a component of the capillary tube system.

The desired length of the capillary tubes 24 can now be effected is situ. The capillary tube arrangement 10′ is delivered to the site of the intended use with capillary tubes 24 of maximum length so that the individual capillary tubes 24 will be in situ shortened as required while their free ends should be flush with each other. Then, the second main tube 14 will be connected, which is again realized by provision of the connectors or connection fittings 22 as plug-in fittings or by bonding.

FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment of a capillary tube system adapted to be sized to the desired length, comprising a capillary tube mat 26 which, similar to the capillary tube mat according to FIG. 2, includes a plurality of capillary tubes 34 fixed at a defined mutual distance and in parallel to each other on a support structure, particularly a flexible support structure 32. This capillary tube mat 26 is in situ sized to its desired length, and the open ends of capillary tubes 34 will then in the already described manner be connected to the main tubes 12 and 14 which are also shown in FIG. 5.

Thus, in the embodiment according to FIGS. 1-3, it is made possible to sever the capillary tube arrangement 10 delivered in a prefabricated condition ex factory, and to assemble the prefabricated capillary tube mat 26 and the fitting bars 28,30 to each other. In order to facilitate the assembly process in situ, the required individual capillary tube fittings have been prefabricated in a bar-like, mutually parallel arrangement, with a mutual distance corresponding to the distance between the capillary tubes, and in a number corresponding to the number of the capillary tubes. The prefabricated capillary tube mat 26 adapted to be shortened to size comprise two capillary tubes 34 with open tube ends; again, the individual capillary tubes 34 are fixed at a mutual distance corresponding to the distance between the capillary tubes and in a number corresponding to the number of capillary tubes 24. For each capillary tube arrangement 10 which is to be lengthened, two fitting bars 28,30 and a shorter capillary tube mat 26 will be needed. In principle, the technique for connection can comprise any known technique for establishing detachable or non-detachable connections while care is to be taken that it will always be two similar tubes which are connected to each other.

According to an alternative illustrated in FIG. 4, it is proposed that a main tube 14 with integrally formed tube connection means (tube connectors or tube fittings 22) and without capillary tubes, and a further main tube 12 having non-detachably connected to it capillary tubes 24 with open ends on one side, are combined with each other. The distances and the number of the integrally formed connections and of the capillary tubes 24 are equal in each case. The length of the capillary tubes 24 can be shortened in situ. The advantage over the variant according to FIGS. 1-3 lies in the hydraulically superior arrangement by obviating the need for the additional tube connections per capillary tube. In principle, the connection technique can comprise any known technique for detachable or non-detachable connections and will connect a capillary tube directly to the main tube. A lengthening can be performed by use of a fitting bar and an also shortenable capillary tube mat as described above with reference to the embodiments 1-3.

In connection with the embodiment according to FIG. 5, it is proposed by way of alternative to use two separate main tubes 12,14 with integrally formed tube connection means (tube connectors or tube fittings 20,22) and without connected capillary tubes 34 in combination with the shortenable capillary tube mat 26 having open tube ends on both sides. 

1. A capillary tube system comprising a capillary tube arrangement (10) including an inflow main tube (12) and an outflow main tube (14) and a plurality of capillary tubes (24) connecting said tubes (12,14), a capillary tube mat (26) including a plurality of capillary tubes (34) fixed on a support structure (32), preferably on a flexible support structure, and being open on both of their ends, the distances between said capillary tubes (34) relative to each other being substantially equal to the distances between respectively adjacent capillary tubes (24) of the capillary tube arrangement (10), and two fitting bars (28,30) each including a plurality of the capillary tube fittings (38) for connecting respectively two capillary tubes (24,34), the capillary tube fittings (38) being fixed on a holding structure (36) at distances substantially equal to the distances between respectively adjacent capillary tubes (24,34) of the capillary tube arrangement (10) and of the capillary tube mat (26).
 2. The capillary tube system according to claim 1, characterized by at least one further capillary tube mat (26) and at least one further fitting bar (28,30).
 3. A capillary tube system for extending the capillary tubes of a capillary tube arrangement (10) including an inflow main tube (12) and an outflow main tube (14) and a plurality of capillary tubes (24) connecting said tubes (12,14), said capillary tube system comprising a capillary tube mat (26) including a plurality of capillary tubes (34) fixed on a support structure (32), preferably on a flexible support structure, and being open on both of their ends, the distances between said capillary tubes (34) relative to each other being substantially equal to the distances between respectively adjacent capillary tubes (24) of the capillary tube arrangement (10), and two fitting bars (28,30) each including a plurality of the capillary tube fittings (38) for connecting respectively two capillary tubes (24,34), the capillary tube fittings (38) being fixed on a holding structure (36) at distances substantially equal to the distances between respectively adjacent capillary tubes (24,34) of the capillary tube arrangement (10) and of the capillary tube mat (26).
 4. A capillary tube system comprising a capillary tube arrangement (10′) including a first main tube (12) and a plurality of capillary tubes (24) connected to said tube (12) and being open on respectively one of their ends, and a second main tube (14) provided with fittings (22) for connection of the capillary tubes (24) of the capillary tube arrangement (10′).
 5. The capillary tube system according to claim 4, characterized in that the distances between respectively adjacent fittings (22) of the second main tube (14) relative to each other are substantially equal to the distances between respectively adjacent capillary tubes (24) of the capillary tube arrangement (10′).
 6. The capillary tube system according to claim 4, characterized by at least one capillary tube mat (26) including a plurality of capillary tubes (34) fixed on a support structure (32), preferably on a flexible support structure, and being open on both of their ends, the distances between said capillary tubes (34) relative to each other being substantially equal to the distances between respectively adjacent capillary tubes (24) of the capillary tube arrangement (10′), and at least one fitting bar (28,30) including a plurality of the capillary tube fittings (38), the capillary tube fittings (38) being fixed on a holding structure (36) at distances substantially equal to the distances between respectively adjacent capillary tubes (24,34) of the capillary tube arrangement (10′) and of the capillary tube mat (26).
 7. A capillary tube system comprising a capillary tube mat (26) including a plurality of capillary tubes (34) fixed on a support structure (32), preferably on a flexible support structure, and being open on both of their ends, and two main tubes (12,14) each provided with a plurality of fittings (20,22) for connection of the capillary tubes (34) of the capillary tube mat (26).
 8. The capillary tube system according to claim 7, characterized in that the distances between respectively adjacent fittings (20,22) of each of the main tubes (12,14) are substantially equal to the distances between respectively adjacent capillary tubes (34) of the capillary tube mat (26).
 9. The capillary tube system according to claim 7, characterized by at least one further capillary tube mat (26) and at least one fitting bar (28,30) including a plurality of the capillary tube fittings (38), the capillary tube fittings (38) being fixed on a holding structure (36) at distances substantially equal to the distances between respectively adjacent capillary tubes (34) of the at least one capillary tube mat (26). 